Eating a $200 Square Watermelon
It’s now square watermelon season in Japan and that means you’ll see them displayed in shop windows — most not for sale! But why? Every now and then a shop will sell one, usually for $200 (¥20,000) or more and […]
Episodes
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Kyoto’s Kinkakuji vs Ginkakuji | Which Attraction Wins?
Kyoto is Japan’s cultural capitol and home to over 2000 temples & shrines to visit, but it’s hard to know which ones to see when you only have a few days. This time, Kansai resident Kevin Riley and I debate […]
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Tokyo Mens Only Capsule Hotel & Lounge Chair Stay Experience
We’re back at another capsule hotel in Tokyo and this time is a retro one ー and it’s men only! (And we’ll answer the question of why?) The Salaryman World of the 1970s is still alive at this capsule hotel […]
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Osaka’s Flamethrower Street Food Chef
When a sushi chef meets a flamethrower, it creates the hottest street food restaurant in Osaka! There’s a chef who has been cooking by flamethrower for over 25 years and the food ー is gourmet quality delicious! In this episode, […]
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Japanese Sandwiches, better than Sushi or Ramen
Japanese food is legendary from sushi to tempura to street food like takoyaki, but Japan also does an amazing sandwich that might surprise you! Whether it’s from convenient stores or gourmet restaurants with decades of culinary experience, the Japanese Sandwich […]
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Japanese Retro Game Centers | Tokyo Arcade Experience
Japanese game centers are must visit places on any trip to Japan, but in Tokyo, there is a place where you can time warp back to the 1980s and 1990s and play those games of the past, too. Since Japan […]
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Why Japanese Live so Long | Secret to Long Life in Japan
So you want to live to be 100? The answers to living a long and happy life may come from Japan which has the longest average life expectancy in the world (83.84 years) and where 2 million people are over […]
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Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics | What We Know Right Now
Next stop: Tokyo! The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang just had their closing ceremony and that means the world turns it’s attention to Japan. The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games are 2 years away, and here is what we know right […]
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What Japanese Prison Food is Like
Japan has some amazing prison food, which should be no surprise. Inmates are served healthy, nutritious meals of grilled fish, salads, rice and soup – which are actually healthier than most school lunches around the world! Would you like to […]
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The Amazing Japanese Hot Spring Bath & Hotel Stay 360°
Japan is quickly becoming one of the hottest destinations to visit these days. Maybe you’re looking into flights to Japan and wondered where the best place to stay is? Forget Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto and journey to the heart of […]
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Japanese Inn & Kaiseki Cuisine: The Ryokan Stay Experience
A Traditional Japanese Inn stay can be the highlight of any trip to Japan, and this comprehensive tour of 13 hot spring towns will give you a complete picture of what to expect during a stay. From the tatami room […]
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Inside Tokyo’s Bath Houses and Sento Story
Bath houses in Japan have been a part of the culture for hundreds of years and in Tokyo, there are 600 of them in neighborhood all around the city. At Japanese baths, you must be naked which is normal in […]
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Japanese Onsen Bath Experience
Grab your towel because it’s time for an epic Japanese onsen bath adventure! We will explore 12 Onsen Towns, hopping from one to another as a “bath tourist” around Fukushima. Naked outside in the snow? It’s part of the fun! […]
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Weird Japanese Canned Food Restaurant
Osaka’s Dotonbori area is known for its amazing street food but after trying it all last time, we headed for a wacky canned food themed restaurant nearby. That’s right — it’s ALL CANS! Japanese cuisine in a can? You got […]
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Japanese Wagyu Beef Experience: Beyond Kobe Steak
Everyone has heard of Kobe Beef, the most famous beef in the world, but it’s just one of many wagyu brands in Japan. In fact Japan has over 300 brands of beef, all with that amazing marbling and leanness you’d […]
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Obama City, Japan | No Trump Tower here
This place is for real! A city in Japan called Obama. They must have named it after the former president, right? Well … Republicans can sigh a breath of relief as this Obama was here first. Obama City, Japan’s history […]
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Death by Naginata | Fukushima Spy Story
Japan’s “Samurai City” is a short and scenic train trip from Tokyo’s TOBU Asakusa Station. This place of warriors, Japanese sake and good food is called Aizu Wakamatsu located in west Fukushima. It’s the focus of my cringe-worthy spy story […]
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How Japan Became High Tech | Tomioka Silk Mill
The most modern and advanced country in the world? Well, Japan is certainly at the top, but it wasn’t always that way. Before the Meiji Restoration (1868) Japan was closed to the outside world. Before 1868, it was the time […]
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Bluefin Tuna (Maguro) Story | Sea to Sushi Shop
Japan’s most prized bluefin tuna comes from a town called Ōma where a HON-MAGURO auctioned in Tsukiji once fetched $1.4M (2003). Oma Maguro is a brand. Just the location it’s caught increases the price of the tuna by as much […]
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Tokyo’s Secret Island Paradise | AOGASHIMA
Jurassic Park may be the first thing that comes to mind when you see Aogashima Island from the air – but yes, THIS IS TOKYO! It’s famous for having a volcano inside a volcano surrounded by dense jungle. It’s also […]
